diff --git a/c/containers/mlr_dsl_ast.c b/c/containers/mlr_dsl_ast.c
index 5ad67d11a..d8438da5d 100644
--- a/c/containers/mlr_dsl_ast.c
+++ b/c/containers/mlr_dsl_ast.c
@@ -169,10 +169,20 @@ char* mlr_dsl_ast_node_describe_type(mlr_dsl_ast_node_type_t type) {
 	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_FILTER:                           return "filter";                           break;
 	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_UNSET:                            return "unset";                            break;
 	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITF:                            return "emitf";                            break;
+	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITF_WRITE:                      return "emitf_write";                      break;
+	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITF_APPEND:                     return "emitf_append";                     break;
 	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP:                            return "emitp";                            break;
+	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP_WRITE:                      return "emitp_write";                      break;
+	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP_APPEND:                     return "emitp_append";                     break;
 	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT:                             return "emit";                             break;
+	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT_WRITE:                       return "emit_write";                       break;
+	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT_APPEND:                      return "emit_append";                      break;
 	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP_LASHED:                     return "emitp_lashed";                     break;
+	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP_LASHED_WRITE:               return "emitp_lashed_write";               break;
+	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP_LASHED_APPEND:              return "emitp_lashed_append";              break;
 	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT_LASHED:                      return "emit_lashed";                      break;
+	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT_LASHED_WRITE:                return "emit_lashed_write";                break;
+	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT_LASHED_APPEND:               return "emit_lashed_append";               break;
 	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_DUMP:                             return "dump";                             break;
 	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_DUMP_WRITE:                       return "dump_write";                       break;
 	case MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_DUMP_APPEND:                      return "dump_append";                      break;
diff --git a/c/containers/mlr_dsl_ast.h b/c/containers/mlr_dsl_ast.h
index 2d7dfcbc3..0ca973568 100644
--- a/c/containers/mlr_dsl_ast.h
+++ b/c/containers/mlr_dsl_ast.h
@@ -34,10 +34,20 @@ typedef enum _mlr_dsl_ast_node_type_t {
 	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_FILTER,
 	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_UNSET,
 	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITF,
+	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITF_WRITE,
+	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITF_APPEND,
 	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP,
+	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP_WRITE,
+	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP_APPEND,
 	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT,
+	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT_WRITE,
+	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT_APPEND,
 	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP_LASHED,
+	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP_LASHED_WRITE,
+	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP_LASHED_APPEND,
 	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT_LASHED,
+	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT_LASHED_WRITE,
+	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMIT_LASHED_APPEND,
 	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_DUMP,
 	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_DUMP_WRITE,
 	MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_DUMP_APPEND,
diff --git a/c/dsls/mlr_dsl_parse.y b/c/dsls/mlr_dsl_parse.y
index c820e1b37..3fbd547ad 100644
--- a/c/dsls/mlr_dsl_parse.y
+++ b/c/dsls/mlr_dsl_parse.y
@@ -138,11 +138,23 @@ md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_bare_boolean.
 md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_oosvar_assignment.
 md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_filter.
 md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_unset.
+
 md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emitf.
+md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emitf_write.
+md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emitf_append.
 md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emitp.
+//md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emitp_write.
+//md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emitp_append.
 md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emit.
+//md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emit_write.
+//md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emit_append.
 md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emitp_lashed.
+//md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emitp_lashed_write.
+//md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emitp_lashed_append.
 md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emit_lashed.
+//md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emit_lashed_write.
+//md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_emit_lashed_append.
+
 md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_dump.
 md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_dump_write.
 md_statement_not_braced_end ::= md_dump_append.
@@ -601,6 +613,15 @@ md_emitf_args(A) ::= md_emitf_args(B) MD_TOKEN_COMMA md_oosvar_keylist(C). {
 	A = mlr_dsl_ast_node_append_arg(B, C);
 }
 
+md_emitf_write(A) ::= MD_TOKEN_EMITF(O) MD_TOKEN_GT md_rhs(F) MD_TOKEN_COMMA md_emitf_args(B). {
+	B = mlr_dsl_ast_node_set_function_name(B, O->text);
+	A = mlr_dsl_ast_node_alloc_binary(O->text, MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITF_WRITE, B, F);
+}
+md_emitf_append(A) ::= MD_TOKEN_EMITF(O) MD_TOKEN_BITWISE_RSH md_rhs(F) MD_TOKEN_COMMA md_emitf_args(B). {
+	B = mlr_dsl_ast_node_set_function_name(B, O->text);
+	A = mlr_dsl_ast_node_alloc_binary(O->text, MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITF_APPEND, B, F);
+}
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
 md_emitp(A) ::= MD_TOKEN_EMITP(O) MD_TOKEN_ALL(B). {
 	A = mlr_dsl_ast_node_alloc_unary(O->text, MD_AST_NODE_TYPE_EMITP, B);
diff --git a/c/mapping/mlr_dsl_cst.c b/c/mapping/mlr_dsl_cst.c
index 62a606fe9..f15ccf551 100644
--- a/c/mapping/mlr_dsl_cst.c
+++ b/c/mapping/mlr_dsl_cst.c
@@ -1948,6 +1948,12 @@ static void handle_emit(
 	sllmv_free(pmvkeys);
 }
 
+// xxx if to file:
+// * mlhmmv_to_lrecs not to pcsv_outputs->poutrecs but to local list
+// * hand those off to multi_lrec_writer keyed by filename.
+// * multi_lrec_writer needs to have open fp (from write/append) as well as lrec_writer object.
+// * multi_lrec_writer needs drain-all on its close method, invokved from mapper_put.
+
 // ----------------------------------------------------------------
 static void handle_emitp_lashed(
 	mlr_dsl_cst_statement_t* pnode,